Thursday, December 22, 2016

How I wish my art will transform the lives of disadvantaged people

“It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done.”

― Vincent van Gogh

In March 2016, after an inspirational meeting with the art curator and teacher Latha Kurien Rajeev in Trivandrum, I started to paint seriously. Since then, literally speaking, I have transformed everyday of my life very colourful. Art is transforming my life for better and I hope to transform others lives better through my art.

From childhood, I loved art. Art was one powerful medium through which I withered my gender identity crisis.

We all express our happiness, sadness, confusion, desire, love, compassion, anger, lust and every human emotion in words, sounds, gestures, expressions, movements and writing. We have people to listen to. For me, paper and pen, brush and colours were my medium for expressions, that was where ai was not judged or bullied for what I expressed.

Around 11th August 2016, I came across crowdfunding platforms and realised their potential to showcase and sell my art and raise funds for myself and for the causes I believe in. That is how my campaign www.fueladream.com/home/campaign/278 happened. After 3 months, i sold most of my paintings through the platform and raised my target which was INR 2,00,000. Taxes minus campaign charges, I will distribute 60% of the funds raised to the four chosen trans women and one more struggling activist brother of mine who need support.

In the upcoming months and years I want to make more art passionately, sell them to people who genuinely cherish it and raise funds to support not only transpeople but also those poor and disadvantaged children who will need such support to pursue their studies.

I hope and wish I have all the creative energy and the strength to pursue it and make young people's dreams for a better future gets closer to reality with my effort.

I am blessed and feel I have been chosen for this great purpose. It gives a true meaning to my life, to my art.

“The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science.”

― Albert Einstein, The World As I See It

Support Sahodari Foundation's initiatives. Please visit www.sahodari.org to know all our work for the transgender community.

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About Kalki

Kalki is an activist, author and an actor. She is a well known activist in India working on transgender rights. She is also the founder of Sahodari Foundation, an organization working
for the social, economic and political empowerment of transgender
persons in India.

A transsexual woman herself, Kalki holds two Master’s degrees - First one
in Journalism and Mass Communication and the second in International
Relations.She fiercely campaigns for social,
political, and economic equity and rights of transgender and intersex
people.

Through Sahodari Foundation, Kalki works within the transgender community on several issues, for example, by creating empowerment programs like entrepreneurship training which can positively change the poor transgenderand intersex people’s livelihood choices – a life away from begging, a life with dignity. She also provides counseling and guidance for a better life after transitioning. With the public, she advocates against transgender discrimination and hatred and voices for inclusion of transgender and intersex people at all levels. She has lectured in numerous prestigious institutions like IIT Madras, Jindal Global Law School, National Judicial Academy and many more institutions across India. She has also represented India in seminars internationally.

On the professional side, Kalki is an actress, short documentary film maker, script writer and a published author. Her collection of poetry in Tamil titled 'Kuri Aruthean' was published recently by reputed publishing house Vikatan publishers. She is currently working two of her books, her first English book and her second Tamil book.

On February 21st 2009, Kalki was awarded the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' by the Lioness Club of Chennai in appreciation of her transgender rights advocacy work. She has received several awards for her contribution towards transgender rights. Kalki was one of the major campaigners behind the Indian Supreme Court's verdict legalising transgender as Third Sex in the country.

In October 2010, Ms.Kalki was invited by the government of the United States of America for a 16 days Human Rights activism & Awareness program through IVLP to Washington DC, New York and SaltLake City. She is the first transsexual foreign national to be invited by the United States government.She has also been invited internationally to speak on marginalized people's rights.

Kalki's debut in Indian film world happened with 'Narthaki', an offbeat film about the life journey of a transsexual woman - her quest for happiness, love and finding her identity and true happiness. She became the first transsexual film star in India to do a lead role in a major feature film.

In 2012, she was honoured with an invitation to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi to participate in the swearing in ceremony of Chief Justice of India Honourable Altamas Kabir.

In 2013, Junior Chamber International Pondicherry White Town presented her the Outstanding Social Worker Award.

In 2015, for her turmoil account of life through poetry in her Tamil book 'Kuri Aruthaen', she received the Best Poet award from Born2Win Trust, Chennai.